Let’s take another look at the love chapter in 1st Corinthians chapter 13.
[If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.]
Have you ever met someone who professed to have ‘special gifts’ from the Holy Spirit but as you watched them in their lives you questioned their motives?
That is what this is talking about. IT Is JUST Noise… and there has been a lot of noise lately in our world from those who say ‘they love’.
[2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.]
We have at times seen someone with prophetic gifts that healed others or told others about their lives but we also in turn must look at their ‘fruit’ of their lives. Without love it is just performance.
[3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.]
Again if we do not see the actions that match the behavior it is nothing… empty.
[4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.]
Have you ever met someone with great patience and kindness? if they spoke of ‘God’s love you would listen?’ Pride cannot stand in the same room as gentle love.
[5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.]
Have you met someone who often talks down to others? It is not a good witness for sure.
[7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails.]
If someone truly cares for relationships this is true. ALWAYS 4 times… in love.
[But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.]
Eventually these manifestations of the Spirit will go away.
[9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.}
When completeness comes, we will not need anything else.
[11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.
When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.]
This is maturity… leaving behind the childish ways.
[12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.
Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.]
This is a bit of a mystery to me, I think it means we will be fully known in heaven.
[13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.]
It all boils down to this.
If we don’t have genuine love for one another it doesn’t matter what words we say, our truth will be known.
The greatest of these is love, so let us love in word and deed so that others will hear and see our truth and pray that they will know we are Christians by our love.